Ball transfer tables



Feb. 13, 1962 c. J. HEINRICH ETAL 3,020,993

BALL TRANSFER TABLES Filed April 5, 1960 BY 9g. 'ir

Feb. 13, 1962 c. J. HEINRICH ETAL 3,020,993

BALL TRANSFER TABLES Filed April 5, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 13, 1962c. J. HEINRICH ETAL 3,020,993

BALL TRANSFER TABLES Filed April 5, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 3,020,993 BALL'TRANSFER TABLES Chester J. Heinrich, Wayne, Andrew T. Kornylak, JerseyCity, and Michael Toscano, East Orange, NJ., assignors, by direct .andmesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by theSecretary of the Navy Filed Apr. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 20,232 4 Claims. (Cl.193-38) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used byor for the Government of the United States arent G of America forgovernmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon ortherefor.

This invention relates to improvements in material handling conveyors,and more particularly pertains to ball transfer tables having readilyvariable angular attachments for skate wheel conveyors, wherebymaterials can be moved readily over two or more intersecting skate wheelconveyors, and the angularity of the conveyors can be changed readily ineither a vertical or a horizontal plane.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a circular ball transfertable is provided with a rotatable flange member, which is coupled to aplurality of skate wheel conveyors by means of permitting feed at anydesired angle.

It was observed, during cargo replenishment operations with verticalpocket conveyor equipment, that pacakaged goods had to be furnishedquickly from a number of locations in a refrigerated cargo compartmentto a central location in the hatch square area of a ship deck level. Themethod used was the placing of a single skate wheel conveyor, runningfrom the loading station for a vertical pocket conveyor to a point justinside the door of the cargo compartment. From this point, as many asthree or four skate wheel conveyors diverged to different areas of thecargo compartment, since different types of material were stored indifferent areas. It was therefore necessary to station a man at theconvergent point of these conveyors. He was compelled to lift the goodsfrom the divergent conveyors and to place them manually on the singleconveyor leading to the loading point for the vertical pocket conveyor.Such manual lifting and placement was very tiring and time-consuming,and the resulting tonnage transfer rates were low. The use of 45 and 90commercial conveyor turns was unsatisfactory, as such turns were clumsyto handle, could only be used by joining two conveyors at one time, andwere not adapted to be positioned at optimum feed angles.

These disadvantages have been overcome by the subject conveyor system,wherein a circular ball transfer table is provided with a dependingperipheral skirt that carries means to secure a plurality of skate wheelconveyors at any desired angle.

A principal object of the invention is to provide an improved balltransfer table and skate wheel conveyor cargo handling means.

Another object is to provide means to attach a plurality of skate wheelconveyors to a ball transfer table at a plurality of angles, radiallyand elevation-wise.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this inventionwill be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood byreference to the following detailed description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ball transfer table and a plurality ofcoupled skate wheel conveyors, showing a preferred embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the ball transfer table, partly broken away toshow details thereof;

Patented Feb. 13, 1962 FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an elevation of a leg of the ball transfer table, partlybroken away to show details thereof;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged section taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view of a roller or skate-wheel conveyorbracket;

FIG. 8 is a section taken on the line 8 8 of FIG. 7.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in FIG. 1, a ball transfer table 11 is carried on legs 13 thatcan be adjusted in height to maintain gravity feed. The table surface 15carries a multiplicity of ball units 17 that afford a plane rest surfaceof minimum friction, whereby containers 19 or the like can be movedfacilely. The table 11 is further provided with a circumferential apron47 which holds a plurality of tie rods 23. Roller type conveyors 25, 27and 29, or equivalent gravity type conveyors, can thus be secured to thetie rods 23 to permit confluent feed of containers 19, as shown, ordivergent feed of such containers.

Preferably, a total of thirty nine ball transfer units 31 are insertedin a series of concentric rings of holes in a support base 33. Twentyball transfer units are inserted in an outer row, proximate theperiphery of the base, twelve ball transfer units comprise the secondring, six ball transfer units comprise the third ring, and a single balltransfer unit is provided in the center. This provides a substantiallyuniform and equally-spaced arrangement, but different spacings andarrangements may be preferred for particular uses. A ball 35 is seatedrotatably in each unit 31.

Removable top plate 37 is a disc having a depending peripheral skirt 39,and is of somewhat larger diameter than the diameter of base 33.Openings 36 in plate 37 correspond with the positions of the units 31,so that a portion of each ball 35 protrudes above the upper surface ofplate 37, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The plate 37 is seated on theupper lip of the housing member of each unit 31, and is secured to base33 by means of flush-head bolts 41 and nuts 43. Spacer rings 45 providefurther support for plate 37 on base 33 at each bolt and nut.

Apron 47 is a band secured to base 33 as by welding,.

said apron 47 encircling said base 33 andforming flanges extending aboveand below the plane of said base. Inverted U shaped fixtures 49 arehooked over the upper ange of the apron 47, and are slidable thereon.Face plates 51 are secured to xtures 49 as by welding, extendingoutwardly therefrom to provide a bearing hole 53 for a tie rod 55, eachtie rod 55 having its ends extending through a pair of such holes 53, asshown.

The tripod leg structure shown in FIG. 1 is preferred. As shown in FIGS.4 to 6, each leg comprises a channel member 57. Bracket 59, which isU-shaped, has one end welded to the nether face of base 33, proximateapron 47. The legs of bracket 59 encase the side walls of channel member57, as shown in FIG. 6, and bolts 61 and nuts 63 secure the channelmember to its bracket. The adjustability of the height of each leg isafforded by channel member 65, which encases the side Walls of member 57and which terminates in a floor plate 67. Members 57 and 65 are securedtogether by means of the bolt 69 of knob 71, which carries nut 73 tocompress said members together.

In the modified form of bracket structure shown in FIGS. 7 and 8,vertical adjustability of the tie rods 55 is provided. A channel memberdepends from each Y 3 to member 75 by bolt 79 and nut 81, and tie rod 55is in turn welded to said bracket 77.

In a typical application of the ball transfer table of the subjectinvention, a straight conveyor run is set up in a refrigeratorcompartment of a ship, the run being set up from a loading station for avertical pocket conveyor or for a cargo net. This site is usually nearthe center area of a cargo hatch in the hold or between deck levels.This conveyor run extends just inside the cargo door opening, where theball transfer table is located and `attached to the end of this conveyorrun. To any or all of the remaining brackets on the ball transfer table,conveyors are attached at any practical desired horizontal angle, withthe center line of the conveyor defining a radius of the table. Whenready for operation, one man is stationed at the outermost end of eachof the divergent conveyors. These men pick containers from their storageplace, place the containers on their conveyor, and push the containertoward the man stationed at the ball transfer table. This man reroutesthe container to the outgoing conveyor merely by pushing it in theproper direction, and no manual lifting (which would tend to decreasetonnage handling rates and to constitute an adverse personnel and cargosafety factor) is involved. If it is necessary to change the angle ofone of the convergent conveyors, this is accomplished easily by swingingthe conveyor on its movable bracket, which is self contained in the balltransfer table unit. Changes in vertical angles of the convergentconveyors are accomplished similarly by moving the outermost end of suchconveyors up or down, and in the modification shown in FIGS. 7 and 8,the height of the tie rod can be adjusted so that the conveyors and thetable surface are at proper relative elevation.

Another typical use of the ball transfer table unit is at a T conveyorintersection, where a container entering the T from any leg can berouted easily over either of the other two legs. A further use of thetable unit can be that aboard an aircraft carrier at a segregation pointafter a transfer of cargo at sea. With the use of vertical pocketconveyors or tray lift conveyors, items arc delivered from severaldifferent hold levels, and enter into the same cargo net while it isbeing loaded on the supply ship for transfer at sea to the aircraftcarrier. When the aircraft carrier receives this net load, all likeitems must be segregated for transfer to their respective stowagespaces. This is easily accomplished by moving all incoming material on acommon lead-in conveyor line to the ball transfer table unit, and thenrouting like material over its proper divergent conveyor from the balltransfer table unit to its designated like item accumulation point.

lt is thus evident that the ball transfer table unit of the subjectinvention can be used facilely for concentration or dispersion ofsupplies, that it is more flexible in operation than prior devices, thatit affords a simple selfcontained unit without loose external parts, andthat it provides ready adjustment means for needed vertical orhorizontal accommodations.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

We claim:

l. A ball transfer table unit comprising a table base provided with aplurality of universal bearing means spaced at predetermined distanceson the upper surface thereof, a top plate secured to said base andhaving openings therethrough corresponding with the positions of saidbearing means to permit said bearing means to extend above saidopenings, an encircling apron secured to the peripheral edge of saidbase and providing flanges extending above and below said base, and aplurality of tie rods adapted to secure an end of a gravity conveyor,and means to secure said tie rods slidably upon the upper flanf'e ofsaid apron.

2. The combination of claim l in which said tie rods securing means eachcomprises a pair of inverted U shaped hangar brackets seated on theupper flange of said apron, `a tie rod being fastened to such pair ofbrackets.

3. The combination of claim 2 further comprising means to vary theheight of said table unit.

4. The combination of claim 2 further comprising means to vary the levelof said tie rods relative the level of said top plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,004,976 Bodman Oct. 3, 1911 1,519,416 Ogren Dec. 16, 1924 2,793,693Meuk May 2s, 1957

